


climbed a mountain (and never came back)

by helloshepard



Category: Transformers - All Media Types, Transformers: Prime, Transformers: Shattered Glass
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Canon-Typical Violence, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, Implied/Referenced Torture, Mirrorverse, Only Recurring Characters Tagged, Shattered Glass
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2013-07-10
Updated: 2017-10-17
Packaged: 2017-12-18 08:22:30
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 7
Words: 2,359
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/877684
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/helloshepard/pseuds/helloshepard
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A series of Decepticon-centric, semi-connected Shattered Glass drabbles and ficlets. Not in chronological order.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Rescues

**Author's Note:**

> Cross posting from tumblr. tag is #sgfic. Editing to correct grammar and add details. I hope my writing has improved within the last few years.

“Soundwave.” Claws shook his shoulders.

It hurt. Perhaps the mech was trying to be gentle— _gentle? Ratchet was_ never _gentle—_ trying not to brush open wounds, but it still hurt. “Soundwave. Respond.”

He forced his optics online, blinking out shards of visor.

A Decepticon stood above him. Energon stained his chest, nearly obscuring the red sigil. Beside him was another mech, similarly covered in fluid.

They were both familiar…and yet…Soundwave could not place them. He began to scan for the correct communications frequency.

If this was a rescue party— _did he need to be rescued?—_ they needed to know that Ratchet was coming back.

The confusion must have registered on his face because the Decepticon leaned forward, coming into focus just a bit better.

“He can’t.” The second Decepticon pushed past the first, thick digits indelicately prodding his throat. “Voicebox has been…stabbed, I think. Knock Out’ll need to handle this one.”

The first Decepticon snarled, then slammed his fist against the wall. Soundwave flinched, but continued his scans.

“Contact Knock Out and Starscream. We need a bridge.”

Found it.

A wordless query was sent.

The first Decepticon froze, then pulled back.

“You don’t—”

Soundwave cringed, anticipating another outburst, but there was simply disbelief on the Decepticon's faceplates. And then a somehow-familiar calm. Confidence.

“You are Soundwave. My communications officer. And I am Megatron. This is Breakdown. And…you have been here for quite some time.”


	2. Reviews

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Megatron and Starscream debrief.

Watching Soundwave watch him through the glass panel of the sickbay was not the most potent reminder of why he hated this war, but it certainly came close.

One rotation around this galaxy’s sun meant little to a Cybertronian: Megatron had battle scars and a cube of high grade older than the human’s ability to travel the seas.

But a year had cost Soundwave _everything_.

 Soundwave had never been the most confident, but now it was an exercise in simply keeping him grounded. Knock Out and Starscream were certainly better at it than he was. They knew what to say, when to offer a reassuring hand—and they knew when the same hand would make the other Decepticon unresponsive for the rest of the day.

And most importantly, they knew how to be calm, how to talk him away from the laboratory where he had been kept. Three-hundred and seventy-three Earth days was so much longer than Megatron cared to dwell on, and consequentially, he rarely did.

But it was so much time. Long enough to be left with only the faintest of memories of any existence before that. Long enough to have reduced his once-finicky but quite capable communications officer to…this.

Megatron lowered his head. In response, Soundwave tilted his own helm before stepping back to the safety of his berth.

It was nearly enough to make Megatron wish that Optimus Prime and Ratchet had been at the compound.

Nearly, but not quite.

Megatron turned away from the wary chartreuse gaze, aware Starscream had approached to stand beside him. The Seeker looked at Soundwave for a moment, acknowledging Soundwave’s cautious stare, before turning his attention to Megatron.

“The answers will come, sir. Don’t worry.”

Megatron sighed. Starscream turned, handing him a subscpace-produced Energon cube.

“We retrieved him after an entire Earth year, sir. That certainly counts for something.”

“Indeed, Starscream.” They raised their cubes in a halfhearted toast, a custom picked up from too many Earth movies. “Indeed.”


	3. Movie Night

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Decepticons + movie nights. Prompt from fannishcodex on tumblr.

Movies were always screened on the bridge. Decepticons were free to wander in and out as they chose, coming in after a shift or leaving to begin one.

The lack of seats, however, always usually resulted in squads of Eradicons and Insecticons huddled together in one corner, trying to keep their voices down, and the officers piled together on the other side of the room, trying to listen.

“What was this movie called again?” Starscream forced his voice down to a whisper.

 _“Brave,_ I think.”

Starscream blinked, shaking his head and trying to understand how Earthlings could get away with such undescriptive titles. Slowly, he leaned back against the other Decepticon, taking care not to hit the slender mech with his wings. Soundwave didn't protest but Laserbeak chirped, annoyed.

Soundwave shifted in place then deployed the minicon, who glided around the room once before coming to a stop on one of the Eradicon’s shoulders. Free to move, Soundwave let his arms rest on Starscream’s waist before pulling the Seeker back into his lap.

“I thought we watched that movie last week.”

Soundwave shrugged.

“Megatron's turn.”

Breakdown and Knock Out sat to their left. The pair were entirely distracted with each other, which left…

Starscream glanced from the other officers to the groups of troopers scattered throughout the bridge.

 “Where is Megatron?”

Soundwave nudged Starscream’s shoulder with his helm.  

“Coming shortly. Don't worry.”

Before Soundwave had finished speaking the door hissed open, letting in dim, purple light—and Megatron. The Decepticon sighed, and took his place next to Starscream.

Soundwave’s choice in seats made _sense_ (strategically). They sat with backs pressed against the wall (or against Soundwave’s chest) able to survey the whole room easily. Strategy or no, Starscream would have preferred to sit in the front. Where he could see.

“Megatron?” Starscream ignored the stifled growl coming from Breakdown.

The other Decepticon began to shake his head, paused, then nodded. Starscream did not press further—this was neither the place or the time.

Through Soundwave’s frame, Starscream felt the dull _thud_ of Megatron leaning back against the wall as he settled into place.

Starscream looked up at the screen, then matched the image with a reference he pulled from the human ‘Internet’.

At this rate, they had approximately eighty-nine more minutes of peace.

Starscream could live with that.


	4. Reentry Issues

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Megatron and Soundwave talk. Post Soundwave!rescue.

“You saved me.”

Megatron blinked.

“Yes. We all did.”

Soundwave struggled to sit up. Megatron wanted to protest, but Knock Out had said this was _good._ Soundwave talking was good. Not backing into a corner was good.

“Mega…Megatron. That’s your name?”

Megatron didn’t meet Soundwave’s optics. _Couldn’t._ Not right now.

“Yes. I am glad you remember.”

“You lead…” Soundwave made a vague gesture with one hand. “Them? Knock Out and the others?”

He nodded, tearing his optics off the dark floor to look at Soundwave.

“Did you lead me?”

He hesitated. Absently, a claw traced a recent dent in his arm, one made a few weeks ago when Soundwave realized he was being taken from one sickbay to another. Knock Out had convinced him to wash off the nauseatingly bright Energon, but Megatron refused to remove the dents.

“I did. You were…” Megatron shook his helm. “I was glad to.”

Megatron watched, both anxious and curious, as Soundwave chewed that over. The other Decepticon’s face was neutral for a second. He frowned. Then Megatron saw a shadow of a smile before Soundwave spoke again.

“I knew things.”

“Yes.” Megatron realized where this was going. Megatron remained still. For a moment, he was sadistically glad Soundwave’s audio receptors were no longer sensitive enough to hear his Spark beating. “You did.”

Soundwave eyed the comlink Knock Out had given him “For absolutely anything you need”. Megatron almost wished Soundwave would call the medic. Knock Out would do a better job explaining this.

“I knew things.” Almost effortlessly, Soundwave stood. He began to pace, walking only with a slight limp. The sight reassured the other Decepticon almost as much as Soundwave taking another step towards him did.

“I knew things they wanted to know.” Another step. “I don’t know it anymore. I don’t know _anything_ anymore. Did they take it? What they wanted to know?”

Megatron opened his mouth to respond, then nodded.

“Is that why I can’t remember anything? Is this—” Soundwave gestured to the sickbay and Megatron. “All I know?”

“No.” Megatron steeled himself.

“They enjoyed it, Soundwave. Every minute of it. It’s why your visor is gone and you can no longer consume normal Energon and why Knock Out says you’d been cut open again and again and he still doesn’t know everything they did to you and—” Megatron cut himself off. Soundwave didn’t need to hear this. “This is not all you know and it never was. Despite the loss of the information, they have not killed us yet.”

The confused look on Soundwave’s face made Megatron wish he had never opened his mouth.

Slowly, Megatron reached out, letting his claws rest lightly on Soundwave’s shoulders. Soundwave didn’t protest.

“And they never will. I promise.”


	5. Reasoning

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Years later, I update.

“But if we can maneuver this squadron past the Autobot’s left flank, perhaps a few lives could be spared.”

Blue optics considered the options laid before them. Theoretically, one could have calculated the best strategy using raw numbers and hard data, maximizing the losses for the other side while paying no attention to theirs.

 But that was not how they worked.

Megatron shook his head, finally.

“We must anticipate the Autobots having an extra platoon, so the squad is needed to take them head-on.”

Starscream sighed. Megatron looked at him closely, trying to see any new signs of…something, apart from exhaustion, and frustration and sometimes anger. He wasn’t sure what he was looking for, but he intended to be there for his first lieutenant when the time came.

“I know you want to save every life that you can, but it is inevitable that some will become casualties in this war. We will try to save everyone we can, but it is impossible to save them all.”

His wings flew up at the perceived patronizing tone. He opened his mouth to protest, but Megatron lifted his hand and Starscream was silent.

“If I did not have you at my side I have no doubt this war would be much harder on the soldiers than it already is. I must thank you for that.”

Starscream scowled at him for a few minutes before finally nodding.

“The first plan, then. I will inform the squads before the attack.”


	6. Iconoclast

“Where is he?”

“I don't think—” Knock Out hesitated, shifting from one foot to the other. “I’m not sure—”

_“Where is he?”_

Shockwave had only raised his voice slightly, but Knock Out still flinched. He drew back immediately, ashamed.

“I apologize. I was just…”

“Worried. We all are.” Knock Out sighed. “Sickbay Two. Shockwave?”

“Yes?”

“Don’t take anything he says personally.”

Soundwave was examining a datapad as he approached, seemingly oblivious to Shockwave’s arrival. Were it not for his missing visor and altered biolights, Shockwave would have thought nothing was wrong.

He opened the door.

Soundwave looked up immediately. There was no recognition in his optics, and in a split second, he was backed into the corner. 

“Soundwave?”

No response.

“It’s me.” Shockwave felt hollow. “Shockwave. I’ve come from Cybertron.”

“I read about you.” Soundwave looked down at the datapad, cast down onto the floor in a fit of panic. “I—we—I can’t remember you. I can’t remember anything.”

Soundwave stopped.

“I remember the Autobots.”

Shockwave took a cautious step forward.

“I know. I’m here to help.”

For the first time, Soundwave looked into his optic. It was only for an instant, but it was still there.

“How?”

Shockwave pushed back technical explanations and theories.

“Any way I can.”


	7. Fair Weather Friend

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Old, old crosspost prompt. Comments and constructive criticism are always appreciated! 
> 
> Knock Out was the one who got captured by M.E.C.H. (or the equivalent) and lost his optic. Jack is, in essence, a teenage delinquent whom KO has taken under his wing. Here and here are more about that, if you’d like to read further. Onward. http://legiion.co.vu/post/52672097563/sghuman-headcanons-for & http://legiion.co.vu/post/49739114301/so-instead-of-prompts-have-headcanons-and-in for headcanons!

The night was cool, a welcome break from the daytime Nevada heat.

Not that he would have said anything about it either way. He refused to let the weather dictate what he could or couldn’t wear, or could or couldn’t do, just as he refused to vocalize any discomfort unless it suited his purposes, whatever those might be. 

Jack shifted from foot to foot, stirring up dust, then began to fiddle with the zipper on his jacket. His phone vibrated, and was ignored. To take his mind off the phone, he began to wonder what it was the Decepticon wanted from him  _this_  time. He hoped it wouldn’t be another discussion about his ‘future’.

The familiar purr of an engine dragged him out of his thoughts. He stepped forward, refusing to blink as the Decepticon’s headlights burned his eyes.

“What do you want?”

Knock Out transformed, standing before him, trying and failing to look inconspicuous. His blue optic narrowed, attempting to read Jack, but didn’t quite manage to appear threatening.

Normally, the medic tried to try to make small talk, or to go for a drive. Today, there was none of that. Jack wasn’t sure whether to be suspicious or relieved, even as he gave up and blinked furiously.

“Jack.”

“ _What?”_

The Autobot’s single optic softened. He sighed, and moved as if to kneel, then thought better of it, and remained standing. Jack stayed where he was, and refused to step back. 

“The war has escalated again, Jack. It’s no longer safe for us to freely visit Earth.”

Jack blinked. That…hadn’t been what he’d been expecting.

“…so?”

“I am truly sorry to spring this on you, but…I cannot visit any longer.”

Jack froze for a moment, trying to process Knock Out’s words and what his reaction to them was going to be.

“You–”

“It’s not safe for either of us.” Knock Out was speaking quickly now, trying to get his piece in before Jack could find the words to interrupt. “I don’t want you to be dragged into this war any more than–”

“So you’re ditching me. Is that it?” Jack glared, hands balling into fists.

Knock Out’s face was a study in surprise, before shifting to solemn concern.

“No. Jack. If I continued to visit, and the Autobots found you again…”

“Then what? Ratchet  _knows_  he has no real use for humans.”

Knock Out’s optic narrowed. Jack fell silent. 

“It would take hours to explain every reason, which is time I don’t have. They’re keeping the groundbridge open for me. I need to get back.”

“Knock Out.” Jack knew his tone wouldn’t work with the Decepticon, but tried anyway.

The Decepticon in question blinked, then bowed his head.

“I am sorry, Jack. I will take my leave.”

Before he could react, Knock Out had transformed, and was gone.

Only the dust settling on his jacket served as any proof that anyone else had ever been there.


End file.
